Vietnam veterans came together Tuesday to reconnect, reflect and receive the recognition they were initially denied 50 years ago.
In recognition of Vietnam War Veterans Day, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1980 held a free hamburger feed welcoming both veterans and community members while American Legion Post 5 held a “Welcome Home” party for all Vietnam vets and legion members. Veteran David Bayer, a career Non-Commissioned Officer in the US Army, says having a day like Tuesday can provide tremendous healing for veterans.
When American troops returned from Vietnam in 1973, they were greeted with a mixture of indifference and hostility due to a large portion of the country having well-publicized moral objections to the conflict. Navy veteran Dave Meierhoff says he is grateful that all veterans of Vietnam are finally being recognized appropriately, especially those who saw heavy combat.
Fellow Naval veteran Bob Wallace says he was fortunate to come from a military family that understood what he had gone through.
National Vietnam War Veterans Day was first observed in 2012 following a proclamation by President Barrack Obama and is held on Mar. 29 to commemorate the final departure of remaining troops from Vietnam in 1973. Nearly three million Americans served in the Vietnam war.
